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About

Sabrina Ferrari is a pioneering researcher in planetary exploration robotics, with a focused expertise in autonomous systems for extreme extraterrestrial environments. Her primary research areas include lunar cave exploration, spherical robotic design, and deep-space autonomy. Ferrari’s major contribution is the conceptualization and development of the DAEDALUS (Descent And Exploration in Deep Autonomy of Lava Underground Structures) mission, a compact spherical robotic platform designed to explore and characterize the entrance and initial sections of lunar lava tubes. This work addresses critical challenges in identifying and navigating these subterranean structures, which are of immense interest for future human habitats and scientific study. Her 2021 paper on DAEDALUS has garnered 5 citations, while her subsequent work on lunar cave exploration with the same robot has received 4 citations, reflecting growing interest in her innovative approach. Ferrari’s notable achievement lies in integrating a complementary payload set with autonomous capabilities into a tightly packed spherical device, demonstrating a novel solution for accessing otherwise inaccessible lunar environments. Her research holds promise for advancing in-situ resource utilization and planetary geology, positioning her as a rising figure in space robotics.